Stephen Moore column: Out grounds & floodlit first-class games

There have been many conversations from different corners of the cricketing spectrum about where the future of the game lies.

For me this was highlighted in some of the questions I have received recently, which I have endeavoured to answer.

Over the last two years, due to the development of our ground, we have played nearly all our championship cricket at venues around the county.

The benefit of this is that we have received wonderful support from people who would not usually be able to make it to Emirates Old Trafford.

It is great as a player to experience that, but due to budgets in county cricket being so tight, the cost of moving a match often makes it prohibitive.

You have to bear in mind that considerable investment has to be committed to the club ground in the months and years prior to the match taking place.

“Day-night Test and first-class cricket just might allow matches to fit into the modern working life, and make the game more accessible to a wider market”

Stephen Moore

Everyone wants to see a closely-contested match lasting four days, and the pitch and the facilities need to be able to provide that experience for first-class players and supporters alike.

Questions not only about where matches are played, but when have also been heavily debated over the last few years.

I have been fortunate enough to have been involved in two day-night first-class matches played in Abu Dhabi in conjunction with the MCC. The experience was great.

Although there are still some issues with how to make the format work so it provides equal conditions for both sides, for me it shows the kind of thinking that is required to keep cricket as one of the major entertainment sports in the future.

Technology has influenced our lives so much over the last few years, and all this is utilised by coaches, physiotherapists and trainers to make the the county cricketer a vastly more professional sportsman than he was a decade ago.

Day-night Test and first-class cricket just might allow matches to fit into the modern working life, and make the game more accessible to a wider market.

Ultimately though, the competition needs to be identifiable to a modern audience, and marketed as such.

Stephen Moore at a glance

Born in South Africa

Aged 32 (4 November 1980)

Opening right-handed batsman

Lancashire debut in 2010

Previous club: Worcestershire (2003-09)

Scored 120 against touring Australians for England Lions in 2009

Changing the regulations every year only makes this task harder to achieve.

I would argue that unless there is consistency in decision making and regulations, it is very difficult to build lasting support.

This is highlighted in the YB40 competition that has just started this past bank holiday weekend.

It has been decided that this year there will not be a bowling powerplay and fielding restrictions have also changed.

Surely, considering this is the last year the competition is going to be played, as it does not reflect any international format, tinkering with the regulations only serves to confuse players and supporters who have started to get used to the original format?

It is important to stress, however, that any likely evolution in domestic cricket will be driven from the international environment, but I for one would love to see a day in the future where England internationals are seen more regularly in their county strips.

This would not only raise the profile but also the standard of all county competitions.

One option, that has already been suggested, is to implement a franchise-style system into the domestic structure, if only for Twenty20 cricket.

This might bring new finances into the county game, which are not reliant on Team England.

In my opinion, a more independent county game could only have a positive effect on English cricket.

With all this in mind, and as I watch Emirates Old Trafford evolve and become a truly great stadium, I cannot help but think that when it is full for the Ashes, the spectacle, atmosphere, and skills on display will help to inspire a new generation of young cricketers.

Surely that goal has to be the heart beat of all governing bodies, clubs, and players.

You can follow Stephen Moore on Twitter at:
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and you can also leave questions below for him to answer in future columns.

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Comments

and you want a franchise? I wonder why. you think you be 1 of the 8 picked out of 18 for it?? oh yes more money in your bank. do it. in front of empty grounds or sterilised atmosphere, no thought for the real cricket fans just your bank account. and you wonder why no 1 watches county cricket

I mean who pays 18 quid to watch county cricket per day. turn up at tea watch a 1/3 of the day for free. same with non league football conference/north/south and below. after 20 mins most turnstiles unmanned just walk in for free. save yourself 12-15 quid and u miss 20 mins.

and remember from tea its free to walk into any county ground to watch last 2 hours anyway. so now with floodlights u will charge people to get in after 3 pm ok. and I like to the person in charge checking peoples tickets session by session lol. I hate the after tea session mad parents bringin hyper kids to run around like loonies until they get so unruly and bored they finally leave after 30mins

all county games should be played at out grounds. county grounds should be kept for 20/20 and as for floodlite county games. say played from 3pm till 10 pm? how will that attract more people then. all oaps that fill grounds for county games are going home from 3-5 pm to sleep. so grounds be even more empty or full of screaming lawless kids that will finally go home at 7pm when its bed time.

The key with day/night FC games is that it at least offers many people the chance to watch a bit of cricket who couldn't go usually. Charging by the session would be the way to go once all trials had been done.'Who passes CC grounds?" Well in the case of OT, it's slap bang next to a main commuter station between Mcr and Altringham so I'd say a good few do. I can think of a fair few others too...

I don't think there is a remote chance of getting young people to watch 4 day cricket unless there is cricket on the TV to relate to. Tinker with the game as much as you want, but few people are going to watch something they've never seen before unless they are exposed to it first.

In one day cricket the rise and fall of large crowds at Old T corresponded to the level of Sunday coverage on BBC2.

As a kid, I was able to watch Lancs at Lytham or Blackpool. I got to see greats like Akram and Atherton - who I watched score his highest score at Stanley Park. The players also walked round saying hi through the day and it was a great atmosphere. I remember playing with some young children only to find their dad was Neil Fairbrother! You don't get those memories and experiences at Old Trafford.

(2/2) As for the day/night games, I would believe that the idea is to attract the younger generation back to the longer format. If you had sessions ending around 8/9PM and charge less for people who turn up around 5PM, you could get families finding that more affordable than a T20 game. Given the ECB tinker with CC Div 2 (Tiflex/Pink balls), maybe they could trial it there first?

I just don't think that using out-grounds can now be justified in this day and age.

My team, Notts have one of the finest grounds and facilities in the world at Trent Bridge, yet until a couple of seasons ago they would hold at least two matches a year at either Worksop or Newark on pitches that were, at best, challenging.

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